CHANDIGARH: Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has accused the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) authorities in Punjab of political vendetta after his identify was marked as “shifted” within the state’s draft electoral roll.Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an AAP nominee in 2022 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) this 12 months, raised the allegation in a put up on X on Thursday.He claimed his voter ID was registered in Mohali and questioned why his identify had been categorized as “shifted” within the draft electoral roll.“The AAP authorities in Punjab has now taken its politics of revenge to the Draft Electoral Rolls.I’m a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, with my voter ID registered in Mohali, Punjab. But my identify has been categorized as “shifted” within the draft electoral rolls.”“Fortunately, these are solely the Draft Electoral Rolls, not the Closing Electoral Rolls. Names are corrected through the ‘Claims and Objections’ course of, which is ongoing. The Closing Electoral Rolls will likely be printed in October 2026. I’m already in strategy of availing the cures supplied beneath SIR tips,” Chadha mentioned within the put up.“This doesn’t look like a mere clerical mistake. This can be a clear case of political vendetta,” he added.“Who marked me as ‘shifted’?An official of AAP’s Punjab Authorities. Who verified that classification? Once more, an officer of AAP’s Punjab Authorities. Who processed it at greater degree? As soon as once more, the identical AAP’s Punjab Authorities official,” he mentioned additional.Chadha additionally alleged that officers concerned within the electoral revision course of have been weak to political strain as a result of their transfers and postings have been managed by the state authorities.“From the BLO on the bottom to the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab, each operational degree of this train is staffed by Punjab Authorities officers. The BLO is ordinarily a junior Punjab Authorities worker. The AEROs, EROs and DEOs in between are Punjab authorities officers. On the high is a Punjab-cadre IAS officer serving because the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab.“These officers know AAP Authorities controls their transfers, postings and careers as soon as their electoral obligation ends. They know who can switch them and who could make their lives tough. That is how the AAP authorities applies political strain by state officers to execute the political revenge,” Chadha claimed within the put up.He additional alleged that different former AAP leaders who joined the BJP had additionally been focused by the Punjab authorities.“Ever since I left the corrupt Aam Aadmi Occasion, its management has been burning with anger. It has unleashed the Punjab Police and the Punjab Authorities’s administrative equipment in opposition to these of us who refused to stay silent. Different MPs who left AAP and joined the BJP have additionally been focused by Punjab Govt. This wrongful classification is simply the newest act in that political vendetta.”Chadha additionally cited the Election Fee’s tips for the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.He referred particularly to Paragraph 4(d), which he mentioned supplies for a “protected record” overlaying public representatives, amongst others.“Extra importantly, Paragraph 4(d) of the ECI’s Detailed Pointers for SIR, create a ‘protected record’ for public representatives whose names are recognized. This contains Judges, MPs and MLAs. It states:“All names of member of judiciary, public representatives, holders of declared workplaces and personalities from fields of arts, tradition, journalism, sports activities, and public providers and so forth. earlier flagged within the electoral database, are to be included within the Draft Electoral Rolls, in order that needed paperwork may also be collected through the interval of Claims and Objections.”“I’m a sitting Member of Parliament from Punjab. If in any respect my identify was flagged, Paragraph 4(d) required my inclusion within the draft electoral rolls. The instruction was not neglected. It was wilfully violated in my case.”“AAP might run the Punjab Authorities, however Punjab’s Draft Electoral Rolls will not be its personal property,” Chadha mentioned.
AAP rejects allegation
The AAP rejected Chadha’s allegations, saying the Punjab authorities had no function in deciding whose names have been included or deleted from the electoral roll.“Raghav Chadha has been caught by a Nationwide Day by day English Newspaper, attempting to get his voter registration made in Delhi by a backdated course of, and is now making an attempt to place all the blame on the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) and Punjab authorities.The celebration mentioned the SIR train was performed by the Election Fee and never the state authorities.“SIR is performed by the Election Fee, not the state authorities, so the Punjab Authorities has no function in deciding whose identify is included or deleted from the electoral roll.It additionally claimed that Chadha was dwelling in Delhi and mentioned sustaining or shifting his voter registration was his duty.“It’s a matter of public document that Raghav Chadha has been dwelling in Delhi and never in Punjab. If he now not resides in Punjab, sustaining or shifting his voter registration was his personal duty. He can not now blame the AAP or the Punjab Authorities for the deletion of a voter entry.The AAP additional alleged that Chadha was attempting to register as a voter in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar by a backdated course of and known as for an investigation.“On the similar time, the AAP has obtained data from Election Fee sources that Raghav Chadha is attempting to get his voter registration made in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, by a backdated course of. If any such backdated or illegal train has taken place, it have to be investigated and all the fact introduced earlier than the general public.The celebration additionally mentioned it might pursue the matter if the BJP or anybody else had facilitated an alleged backdated entry.“If the BJP or anybody else has facilitated any such backdated entry, we are going to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and expose the reality.”
20.66 lakh names faraway from draft roll
The allegations come after the Election Fee printed Punjab’s draft electoral roll in August as a part of the second part of the SIR train.Almost 20.66 lakh voters have been faraway from the draft roll, accounting for 9.63% of Punjab’s 2.14 crore registered voters as of June 9, 2026.Key dates:
- Claims and objections window | Aug 13 to Sept 12
- Fill out Kind 6 (for inclusion of names); younger residents turning eligible by the qualifying date of Oct 1, 2026, can even apply
Greater than 1.93 crore electors, or 90.37% of registered voters, submitted types through the 40-day house-to-house enumeration train held throughout all 117 meeting constituencies between June 25 and August 3.Of the names eliminated, 9,44,131 voters have been categorized as completely shifted, 5,74,568 as deceased, 4,12,715 as untraceable and 1,19,145 as duplicate entries.The claims and objections course of started on August 13 and can proceed till September 12. The disposal of claims and objections is scheduled for October 8.
